Al Ngullie
Dimapur | June 20
With an important meeting with Nagaland’s service associations scheduled for Monday, there are strong indications that the state government of Nagaland has been left skirting bare-few options but to implement the 6th Revised Pay Scale from June, 2008.
The first indication was the speech of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to Media persons in Dimapur on June 17 while announcing the Centre’s “generous” allocation to pay out for the RoP – from June, 2008, “notational” as he referred to. Since the Plan allocation was announced on Thursday, a decisive turn on the RoP issue is being expected from the scheduled meeting in which the government is going in armed with its proposal to implement the RoP effecting from June 2008.
Also, with hectic parleys and fast development gaining momentum, it has been confirmed that the Cabinet Sub-committee (6th Revised Pay) of the Government of Nagaland has offered to the state employees “Notational Pay Fixation” – 6th Central Pay Scale from June, 2008 as the affecting date – but without the cumulative arrear. Adding to the flurry, it was disclosed tonight that the CANSSEA has actually offered to the government not one “option”, but two.
A reliable source from the state Cabinet informed tonight that the government is scheduled to meet with service organizations Monday in Kohima to discuss the RoP. Important conclusions are being expected from the meeting especially now that a Cabinet source has confirmed that the Cabinet Sub-Committee has specified June 1, 2008 as the best possible concession the government can give to the agitating state government employees.
Employees and service organizations under the umbrella of the Confederation of All Nagaland State Service Employees Association (CANSSEA) have been demanding implementation of the full 6th RoP. On June 17, a CANSSEA leader had disclosed that the organization had offered to “forgo” or “surrender” all accumulated arrears if the RoP is implemented with the affecting date of January 1, 2006. That was the first “option” as reported in this daily on June 18.
A leader of the CANSSEA disclosed tonight that a “second option” was also offered to the government: Implement the RoP from June 2008 and the employees would ‘not claim arrear’ but from 2009 onward, the arrears would be ‘claimed’, and inclusive of increments that came with the central scale.
These proposals were made clear to the Cabinet Sub-committee (headed by Minister for Urban Planning Dr. Shurhozelie) in a letter, the CANSSEA leader said over phone. Yet, as the lines have been drawn, the employees’ leader said that sufficient time has been given to the government. ‘And if by Monday, nothing comes about “we will have to think about further course of action,” the CANSSEA leader said, on condition of anonymity.
On the other hand, a source from the Cabinet said that the government had made only one proposal: Implementation of the 6th pay scale from June, 2008, but without arrear. The government leader said this “offer” of “notational pay fixation” was already ‘notified’ by the Cabinet sub-committee. While no policy decision has been taken on it, there are no other “offers” or “option” in place, the source implied in the interaction.
On June 17, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had announced the Plan allocation for Nagaland for 2010-2011. An amount of Rs. 632 Crore was stated to be for the RoP affecting from April, 2010, including an additional Rs. 80 Crore being offered by the government to employees as “notational” for the RoP affecting from June 1, 2008.
In the meantime, CANSSEA said it has yet to receive any invitation or information of a meeting with the government Monday. A senior leader of the organization said the meeting could be with other service organizations and not necessarily with the CANSSEA.
